New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Odds: Stanley Cup Playoffs
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Mike Schultz
In a matchup that’s becoming de rigueur for the Stanley Cup playoffs, these two division rival teams will face off for game one tonight as the post season begins. This is the third time in a row that the red-hot Penguins will be playing the Rangers in the playoffs, so expect a tight battle. The Rangers are missing their captain, Ryan McDonough, but have the recently acquired veteran Eric Staal to add some depth to their offensive line. Bet on the New York Rangers vs Pittsburgh Penguins round one playoff games right here.
Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 1: New York Rangers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins
Series Winner Odds:Penguins -202, Rangers +141
Game Dates: 4/13 @ PIT, 4/16 @ PIT, 4/19 @ NYR, 4/21 @ NYR, *4/23 TBD ,*4/25 TBD, *4/27 TBD
Home Team Advantage: Pittsburgh Penguins
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are nothing if not experienced in playoff hockey, having advanced to two Eastern Conference finals and one Stanley Cup finals since 2012. Their greatest strength is in their goalie, Henrik Lundqvist, who had a .920 save percentage for the season, and who always seems to shine in the post-season. Mats Zuccarello and J.T. Miller are coming off a good season, helping the Rangers secure the best shooting percentage in the league. They also draw the least amount of penalties in the league, which should help them stay out of hot water with a hot Penguins power play. On the other hand, the Rangers have not been a good possession team this season, ranking amongst the league’s bottom 10. Eric Staal will be hugely important in this first round, and if he shows up with all pistons firing, the Rangers, who are a deeper team, may have a shot to beat the favored Penguins.
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Penguins have some big guns with Crosby, Malkin and Kris Letang, but their lack of depth beyond the top six opens up some doubt about how far that can get you in a Cup run. The Pens are also faced with issues in the net. They may be forced to start Jeff Zatkoff, the third goaltender, who has just 35 NHL games to his credit, and exactly zero experience in the playoffs. The Penguins have been surging, but they haven’t had much luck against the Rangers in their last two playoff match-ups, so they’ll have to fight through their tendency to drop games to the deeper Rangers and their stronger goaltending.